From Chicago historian Adam Selzer, expert on all of the Windy City’s quirks and oddities, comes a compelling heavily researched anthology of the stories behind its most fascinating unsolved mysteries. To create this unique volume, Selzer has collected forty unsolved mysteries from the 1800s to modern day. He has poured through all newspaper, magazine, and book references to them, and consulted expert historians. Topics covered include who really started the great Chicago fire, who was the first “automobile murderer,” and even if there was actually a vampire slaying at Rose Hill cemetery. The result is both a colorful read to get lost in, a window to a world of curiosity and wonder, as well as a volume that separates fact from fiction—true crime from urban legend. Complementing the gripping stories Selzer presents are original images of the crime and its suspects as developed by its original investigators. Readers will marvel at how each character and crime were presented, and happily journey with Selzer as he presents all facts and theories presented at the time of the “crime” and uses modern hindsight to assemble the pieces.

In his first book, Bruce Cline opened the archives of the Little Egypt Ghost Society and the Gaslight Ghoul Club for the first time. Now, join him again as he brings you all new tales of southern Illinois' most notorious places and historical events. You may have heard of John Crenshaw, Little Egypt's notorious slave owner, but did you know that he may have been responsible for the haunting screams emanating from the mysterious Pig Island? Have you heard the story behind the bloody Harpe Brothers, or braved Tuttle Bottoms and its monster? From Southern Illinois University's hidden tunnels, to the Gates of Hell, to the stomping grounds of the Hamp Mine Monster and beyond, join the Little Egypt Ghost Society as they explore some of Illinois' oldest and most interesting places!

Bestselling author and noted cryptozoologist Loren Coleman set out on the ultimate mission: to uncover the fun and intriguing phenomena that exist right here in the United States. In Mysterious America, a fun and compulsively readable guidebook to America's most popular local legends, he prepares readers for their own adventure -- where to find the unbelievable spectacles on their journey, including: Phantom panthers haunting eastern North America Bay State ghosts and spirits Mad gassers in Illinois Champ, the famous Lake Champlain monster The Minnesota Iceman The Missouri Momo and the infamous Eastern Bigfoot And many more! Coleman's witty insight and astonishing experiences will captivate followers of Charles Fort and just-plain-curious readers alike. For, as Coleman frankly reveals, these strange creatures and unimaginable wonders may lie just beyond your own backyard....

Read Along or Enhanced eBook: From Stonehenge to the Bermuda Triangle, there are many places on Earth that remain a mystery to scientists! Readers will discover these curious places--and more!--as they move through this fascinating nonfiction title. This mysterious book features detailed images, informational text, and stimulating facts and theories in conjunction with upper-level features, such as chapter format, a glossary of terms, and an index.

A comprehensive encyclopedia of the unexplained, with incredible eyewitness accounts of strange creatures from around the globe. Including: Angles and Demons; The Mothman; Dinosaurs that still roam the earth; Bigfoot, the Abominable Snowman, and other hairy monsters; A real-life land of the giants; The Loch Ness monster, the Silver Lake Sea Serpent, and other lake creatures; Dragons; Giant Flying Snakes; Carnivorous Plants from outer space; Unidentified submarine objects; Aliens, bedroom invaders, and cattle rustlers from the skies; The Grinning Man; Green men, Leprechauns, and other little people;Vampires and Werewolves and much more....

Find out about the strange and mysterious creatures living in Illinois.

A legendary water beast, mysterious wolves, and an unsolved murder echo through two centuries. Wawetseka, a Potawatomi woman, is shocked when a body washes up near her village, but events soon turn worse: her only son is arrested for murder. To free him she must track down the real killer. Her investigation takes her through the wilderness of 1817 northern Illinois and to Fort Dearborn as she races desperately, fighting the harsh terrain and the realities of vigilante justice. Two centuries later, Wawetseka's descendent, Nick Pokagon, a charismatic young scientist, partners with Cora Tozzi, Cisco, and Frannie to publish Wawetseka's adventures. But then Cora and her friends are attacked. What does Wawetseka's story have to do with the present? How can the mysterious assailant be stopped? The Mystery at Black Partridge Woods tells two related stories with unexpected parallels. It is both a fast-paced adventure and a mystery that paints a picture of the little-known earliest days of what is now Lemont, Illinois. Readers who enjoy amateur sleuths and adventure will find it hard to put down.

Explores bizarre sights and stories found in Illinois.

At long last, the archives of the Little Egypt Ghost Society and the Gaslight Ghoul Club have been opened. Within these pages, uncover the secrets behind some of southern Illinois' most famous ghost stories and legends. Bruce and Lisa Cline expose the truth behind the Murphysboro Mud Monster, present evidence of paranormal activity at places such as the Rose Hotel, Oakland Cemetery, and Harrisburg's Cinema 4, and explain the history behind some of southern Illinois' most controversial and eccentric figures. From the Old Slavehouse, to the Rose Hotel, to the Woodlawn Sarcophagus and beyond, join the Little Egypt Ghost Society as they explore some of Illinois' oldest and most interesting places!

A century-old murder mystery A dangerous ghost An amateur historian... What binds them together? Cora Tozzi is a retired businesswoman who, after nursing her mother through her final illness, wishes only for a peaceful orderly world in her suburban Chicago home. When an angry spirit begins to leave cryptic messages on her computer and threatens those around her, Cora is forced to dig into the town's notorious past to uncover secrets that will free the bonds that tie her and the spirit. With the help of her husband and their friend, Frannie, Cora uses her skills as an amateur historian in a search that takes them into unexpected terrain including subterranean passages, an eerie graveyard, and shadowy paths in isolated forests where a sinister predator is awakened. As they battle unpredictable supernatural powers, the story takes a poignant turn: the spirit's life is revealed, and both women, a century apart, examine threads into the past and the future, their loss and longing linked across the generations.